For the past years, the number of female entrepreneur has grown a lot in Brazil, as well as in many other countries. Today, about 30% private business in the world are controlled or idealized by women. Before, women were seen as housekeepers and subordinated by their husbands, but now they are conquering a huge space through the years in the job market and looking forward to develop their professional career.
The Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM) reported that the proportion of women between the entrepreneurs has surpassed the previous number, with 52,2% against 47,8%. The data from the Brazilian National Independent Business has shown that businesswomen has been revolutionizing during the recession and it will probably change the markets profile.
According to The Brazilian Service of Support to Small Business, Sebrae, less than 10% of business led by woman have external investments. Estimates have shown that if these same organizations received financial support like the ones directed by men, it would generate six million jobs in only five years.
Many programs and companies have been created to support independent women that wish to invest in their business. One of these is the “Rede Mulher Empreendedora” (Entrepreneur Woman Network), the first and biggest platform to support the feminine entrepreneurship. The RME has the purpose to give economic power to women, making sure they will be financially independent and able to make their own decisions in their business.
With more than 500 thousand entrepreneurs registered, the network has clients and partners that believe in the feminine entrepreneurship: “Our team believes that when a woman is financially powered, she doesn’t change only the reality of her family, she changes the reality of the society”, says the head of the project, Ana Lucia Fontes.
Sebrae has courses and lectures that reaffirm women’s place in entrepreneurship. The Sebrae Business Woman Prize is the state and national recognition of woman that “transform their dreams into reality and whose life is an example to many other woman that dream to be an entrepreneur.”
Graziela Dias Alperstedt, teacher and researcher at the Santa Catarina State University says it’s a challenge to these women to manage their business with a predominant male activity on the market. The situation gets even more complicated when they start it early, they are young and don’t have much experience on the market they are getting into
Isa Caritá
The 19 years old fashion student, Isabela Caritá created her own brand, the Isa Caritá Brand, when she was only 14. With a modern office in Santana, São Paulo, and making partnerships with big digital influencers like Mariana Sampaio and Gabi Brandt, she told us a little about this experience.
Isabela Caritá, owner of Isa Caritá Brand.
The young woman reports that she always liked having her own money, therefore she sold some of her things, which were no longer useful for her, so she would not have to ask her parents for it: “In my hometown, I used to sell my stuff for 1 real (brazilian currency) each in front of my aunts’ house”, she recalled. At the age of 14, some stores began to invite her to photograph and provide clothes for her to advertise on Instagram.
Over time, this demand grew and her mother suggested that she created her own brand, with the investment of the parents. Today, it has been five years since the brand was launched.
Isabela also pointed out that to have a brand is not enough to make a woman an entrepreneur: “What is transformative is you to be in front of all the arising problems: at the confection, the administration, the logistics, at the time to talk with the client… What matters is taking care of every little detail”. For Isabela, the most important part of female entrepreneurship is to seek independence.
The student mentions that her work brings a certain flexibility, something that is hard to find in other professions. Since she also attends college, the fact that she can set up her own work agenda is very advantageous. She makes the work and college experience much easier to reconcile: “Being able to manage my schedule helps me to organize my life, so I can have time to do everything I need”.
Besides her clothing brand, Caritá is optimistic about other projects. Because of her creativity and communicativeness, she reveals that YouTube is a platform that catches her eye, and says creating a channel is in her plans. She also tells that the collections with the influencers Mariana Sampaio and Gabi Brandt were unforgettable, but only the beginning of the partnerships. Isabela aims to collaborate with “every possible blogger,” but has not yet figured out who she wants for her next collection.
Decoration of Isabela’s workshop with clothes rack
The girl said that among the goals for this year are the elaboration of a parade, a fashion show, so she could give visibility for her clothes. But, although Isa Caritá Brand has already achieved several marks, the owner reveals that her greatest accomplishment is knowing that her clients are feeling good about the products they have acquired: “The most gratifying thing for me is when I get pictures of girls who are happy with my clothes, it shows how worthwhile my job is”.
The desk where Caritá works with her assistant
Even with all the success achieved, the path of entrepreneurship can be ungrateful. The young woman confesses that she has thought about giving up many times: “In the fashion world people do not pity you. It can be very troubled. One wants to pull a fast one on another”.
Being a woman and very young were also obstacles for Isabela, who nevertheless didn’t give up on her dream: “I see situations where it is clear that if I were older or even not a woman, I would be taken more seriously. But I ignore it and move on”.
Despite this, Caritá values the freedom and the independence acquired through her business. For her, we attach more importance to the money that comes from our own efforts. She further emphasizes that she finds it essential for those who have the opportunity to acquire autonomy: “I encourage all women to earn their own money”.
Women have been saying “no, thanks” to the high escalation of the corporate world, where it is necessary to deal with politicking and to work long journeys without necessarily feeling fulfilled. So many women start their business aligned with personal values and offer freedom and flexibility with respect to their agenda and needs.
Translated by: Bruna Frasson and Giovanna Favero